Business Sustainability: What China’s Urge to Rebalance Its Economy Means for Western Corporations
Shanghai, China, March 21, 2013 --(PR.com)-- There are many reasons for companies to embrace more sustainable practices - greater competitive advantage being the biggest one of all. But when companies operating across international boundaries try to integrate these processes into their business, cultural, political and resource conflicts can derail these efforts.
In it’s ongoing series of webinars presenting best practices to Chinese and international enterprises, Z. H. TANK presents “Integrating Sustainability into your International Business Model” with Dr. Ansgar Gerstner, author of The Tao of Business. In the talk, Dr. Gerstner presents the conflicts and possible solutions that confront leaders faced with the task of building business sustainability, along with several case studies, as well as how this mission is connected to China’s economic rebalancing.
Beginning with an overview of how sustainability may be interpreted differently across cultures, and its implications to businesses -- especially in China, given the country’s environmental and social problems, as well as the ramifications of the country’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan, Gerstner maintains that becoming sustainable and gaining competitive advantage in the Chinese market are not mutually exclusive.
In the core part, Gerstner lays out the recommendations on the development of managers- our modern-day Confucian “philosopher-kings”. From there, he goes directly into a section on detailed action steps - including techniques for sustainability roadmapping, practices for management development, as well as improving “an organization’s sustainability capabilities across borders.”
In addition, Gerstner highlights several cases of sustainability best practices integration done right:
-A large multinational health organization that used it’s HR department to direct international efforts for better business sustainability, rather than top country management.
-A multinational industrial group that transformed it’s business through very careful screening and onboarding in order to realize sustainability best practices.
-Interface Inc., a company that utterly transformed it’s business from one of the most oil-intensive in the world to one of the most efficient while increasing the company's competitive advantage.
-Patagonia, and the paradox of energy efficiency.
Gerstner concludes the presentation with a discussion of the importance of business sustainability to Chinese enterprises in particular, as well as clearing up several misconceptions about what sustainability means before going to a Q&A session with Z. H. TANK moderator Nicholas MacDonald.
About Ansgar Gerstner:
Dr. Ansgar Gerstner is a seasoned executive coach and a Sino-European associate at the consulting firm of Shi Bisset & Associates. A longtime student and instructor of Chinese martial arts and strategic thought, he holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Studies from the University of Trier, and has taught at universities throughout Germany and Austria. Dr. Gerstner is also the author of The Tao of Business, a guide to applying Chinese philosophy in the workplace.
About Z. H. TANK
Z. H. TANK is an online library of webinars for Chinese elite business executives and professionals to sharpen their management know-how. Through customized webinars, homegrown and global industry leaders share with the audience the latest trends, best practices, hot topics, and technologies that impact the world of business. The bilingual library of webinars also aims to enable the seamless integration between global perspective, know-how and local business wisdom. Z. H. TANK is a sibling brand of China business intelligence specialist Z. H. STUDIO.
Media Contact:
Lan Shen
Z. H. STUDIO
lan.shen@zhstudio.net
In it’s ongoing series of webinars presenting best practices to Chinese and international enterprises, Z. H. TANK presents “Integrating Sustainability into your International Business Model” with Dr. Ansgar Gerstner, author of The Tao of Business. In the talk, Dr. Gerstner presents the conflicts and possible solutions that confront leaders faced with the task of building business sustainability, along with several case studies, as well as how this mission is connected to China’s economic rebalancing.
Beginning with an overview of how sustainability may be interpreted differently across cultures, and its implications to businesses -- especially in China, given the country’s environmental and social problems, as well as the ramifications of the country’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan, Gerstner maintains that becoming sustainable and gaining competitive advantage in the Chinese market are not mutually exclusive.
In the core part, Gerstner lays out the recommendations on the development of managers- our modern-day Confucian “philosopher-kings”. From there, he goes directly into a section on detailed action steps - including techniques for sustainability roadmapping, practices for management development, as well as improving “an organization’s sustainability capabilities across borders.”
In addition, Gerstner highlights several cases of sustainability best practices integration done right:
-A large multinational health organization that used it’s HR department to direct international efforts for better business sustainability, rather than top country management.
-A multinational industrial group that transformed it’s business through very careful screening and onboarding in order to realize sustainability best practices.
-Interface Inc., a company that utterly transformed it’s business from one of the most oil-intensive in the world to one of the most efficient while increasing the company's competitive advantage.
-Patagonia, and the paradox of energy efficiency.
Gerstner concludes the presentation with a discussion of the importance of business sustainability to Chinese enterprises in particular, as well as clearing up several misconceptions about what sustainability means before going to a Q&A session with Z. H. TANK moderator Nicholas MacDonald.
About Ansgar Gerstner:
Dr. Ansgar Gerstner is a seasoned executive coach and a Sino-European associate at the consulting firm of Shi Bisset & Associates. A longtime student and instructor of Chinese martial arts and strategic thought, he holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Studies from the University of Trier, and has taught at universities throughout Germany and Austria. Dr. Gerstner is also the author of The Tao of Business, a guide to applying Chinese philosophy in the workplace.
About Z. H. TANK
Z. H. TANK is an online library of webinars for Chinese elite business executives and professionals to sharpen their management know-how. Through customized webinars, homegrown and global industry leaders share with the audience the latest trends, best practices, hot topics, and technologies that impact the world of business. The bilingual library of webinars also aims to enable the seamless integration between global perspective, know-how and local business wisdom. Z. H. TANK is a sibling brand of China business intelligence specialist Z. H. STUDIO.
Media Contact:
Lan Shen
Z. H. STUDIO
lan.shen@zhstudio.net
Contact
Z. H. STUDIO
Lan Shen
86 021 52081696
www.zhstudio.net
Lan Shen
86 021 52081696
www.zhstudio.net
Contact
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